Motherhood
by Nerdy Saxophonist
Summary: Making up for missing the Motherhood prompt from the first Pearlapis week. Lapis and Pearl have two daughters together. UPDATE: This is now a drabble series!
1. Motherhood

Turquoise patrolled the crib, poised to attack anyone who came near it with ill-intent. The wooden floor of the living room didn't even creak under the light weight of the gemling as she looked around, her wooden sword at the ready as she paced all around the crib.

"Hey, sweetie," Lapis said, leaning down. "Whatcha doing?"

"Making sure that nobody hurts sissy!" Turquoise replied dutifully. Lapis smiled as she picked Turquoise up.

"Aw, sweetie," Lapis chuckled. "It's time for your nap, though."

"But I gotta make sure she's super safe! Mommy said that I'm a brave knight!" Turquoise announced.

"And you are. Brave knights have to sleep sometimes," Pearl explained. "That way, they're able to stay alert to fight."

"I don't wanna go back to my room," Turquoise pouted, yawning despite herself. "I have to stay here to make sure sissy is safe."

Lapis and Pearl exchanged a look.

"Well, we could let you nap on the couch," Pearl decided.

"Yeah, that way, we can make sure she's safe until you wake up," Lapis said as Turquoise rested her head against her shoulder.

"You promise?" Turquoise yawned as Lapis sat down.

"I promise," Lapis swore, giving the gemling a soft kiss on the forehead. In mere seconds, Turquoise had fallen asleep in Lapis' arms.

Moonstone began to fuss from her crib several minutes later, just waking from her sleep. Pearl quickly picked her up, knowing that the crying would wake Turquoise. Before she could even begin to prepare a bottle, the baby had calmed down again.

"You just wanted to be held, huh?" Pearl asked, smiling at the young gem as she went back to join her wife on the couch.

"She's a cuddle bug, just like you," Lapis pointed out, leaning her head against Pearl's shoulder. "Watching them almost makes me want to sleep."

"They're so peaceful when they're sleeping," Pearl noted, looking at their daughters. "You would almost forget how much of a handful they can be."

"I wouldn't trade this for the world," Lapis murmured. "I don't know how I ever got so lucky…"

"You know," Pearl started, looking at Lapis, "I ask myself that every day."


	2. The News

I've decided to add some more drabbles to this series. This one is about Lapis breaking the big news to Pearl.

* * *

Lapis paced across the wooden floor of the barn as the rain came pouring down outside. She had been waiting for Pearl for what had seemed like an eternity, and each second only caused to stir the butterflies in her stomach. She glanced out of a crack in the wall, looking for any sign of her gemfriend when a voice came from behind, startling her.

"Sorry for being late," Pearl apologized, looking around. "No Peridot?"

"N-no," Lapis answered shakily, "She's out with Amethyst right now."

"Lapis," Pearl started as she pulled her into a hug, "is something wrong?"

"Everything's fine!" Lapis told her. "It's just, I was just worried about you, since you were late. Anyways, um, let's go watch that movie."

"You're acting odd."

"I guess I've just… not gotten used to the rain?" Lapis shrugged as she flew into the loft. Pearl surrendered, following her. She noticed that the ceiling wasn't leaking, despite the heavy rain.

"You guys fixed the ceiling, I see," Pearl noted as Lapis started the movie and joined her on the couch.

"Isn't it nice?" Lapis asked, a strange uncertainty to her voice.

During the first twenty minutes, Pearl kept seeing Lapis fidgeting as she sat in her lap. Finally, she worked up the courage to speak up.

"Lapis, what's really going on?" she asked. Lapis froze again before climbing off of Pearl's lap.

"I-um… Well," she stammered. "We're having a baby."

"What?!" Pearl shrieked, horrified. "Oh my stars, you mean-" Lapis nodded, looking at the floor.

"Y-yeah. I- it's okay if you don't want to stick around when sh-"

Pearl pulled Lapis into a tight hug as tears started to flow from her eyes.

"O-of course I still w-want to be h-here," Pearl sniffled. "I d-don't want to lose you, though. Not like this."

"Pearl I-" Lapis started as Pearl began to sob. "Pearl, it's different this time. We're both gems, it won't be like that."

Pearl didn't move, but Lapis could still feel her tears on her shoulder.

"Gems aren't made for this, Lapis. We're not supposed to be able to reproduce like this."

"Look, I know this isn't the most ideal situation, but Peridot said that it shouldn't be like it was with Rose. Neither of us will have to give up our physical form."

"How would Peridot possibly know anything about that?" Pearl snapped.

"She's the one who figured it out," Lapis answered. "It took her a while to do the research, but she was in charge of the kindergartens. She knows how gems are usually made, so she was able to piece things together."

"Lapis…" Pearl sighed. "There's no way… This isn't going to end well."

"Pearl, she's been working on an answer for this for three months," Lapis told her. "She's had plenty of time to look through all of the databases from Homeworld, and between that and the informati-"

"Three MONTHS?" Pearl sputtered, looking at Lapis' stomach. "You've been pregnant for THREE MONTHS?"

"Well, more like three and a half…"

"We only have five and a half months left together." Pearl said.

"No, Pearl, we still have forever together. The baby's going to have her own gem, and she won't need mine. It takes longer for gems to be born than it would a human because of that, but everything will be fine," Lapis explained.

"Are you sure?" Pearl asked meekly.

"Yes," Lapis answered. "Peridot said that this baby won't be a pearl or a lapis. She's gonna be something different, a mix of us." Lapis took Pearl's hand and rested it on her stomach. Pearl looked up at Lapis, who was smiling brightly at her.

"And I'll still be here so we can raise her together."

Pearl smiled back at Lapis. She grabbed her hand, gently caressing her fingers as she spoke.

"You know, I wouldn't mind that," Pearl said. "Getting to raise a child with you… It sounds nice. Just promise me one thing."

"What?"

"That you'll let me help you through this, and that everything will be okay."

Lapis gently cupped Pearl's face with her hands as she gently pressed her lips against her gemfriend's.

"Everything will be more than okay. It'll be wonderful."


	3. Moving In

I decided to post the story of Lapis moving into the temple with Pearl before I post more about Turquoise and Moonstone. I wasn't expecting to update two nights in a row, but there will most likely be more updates this week because it's the week before finals, also known as "The Week of Procrastination and Inspiration". So, enjoy!

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" Lapis asked as Pearl adjusted the pillows on the couch.

"Lapis, we don't know what this baby needs," Pearl told her. "It might not be safe to have her living at the barn when she comes. We have to play it safe."

"But I've lived there for two years now," Lapis protested, "What's Peridot supposed to do without me there?"

"Lapis, this was my idea, remember?" Peridot reminded her.

"I- I know," Lapis sighed. "I just- can't we wait until it's closer to the due date? We don't have to worry about her just yet."

"Just because I estimated that it's going to take a year doesn't mean that it's a guarantee," Peridot told her, "and this way, Pearl can help you in case you need it."

Lapis sat down with a sigh, gently running her hand over her growing stomach.

"It's not like I won't come and visit. Besides, you won't feel lonely here," Peridot promised, taking Lapis' hand.

"I'm going to miss it," Lapis spoke, not looking up to meet Peridot's gaze. "I'm going to miss living with you, I'm going to miss the barn, I'm just going to miss all of it."

"It's going to take some time to get used to," Pearl sighed, sitting next to Lapis, "but it's for the best. We've taken a lot of time to think about this, and this is what you and the baby both need."

"It's not what _I_ need," Lapis sighed, getting up to leave. Pearl got up to follow her, but Peridot grabbed her hand to stop her.

"She needs some time alone."

* * *

Pearl went searching for Lapis after a few hours, worrying more and more until she checked the cliff above the temple. She hesitated when she found Lapis curled up, hugging her knees as best she could. After a moment, Pearl decided to take a seat next to her.

"Is it okay if I touch you?" Pearl asked as her hand inched towards Lapis. Upon nodding, Lapis found herself drawn into a warm embrace.

"I know this isn't what you wanted but-"

"I know, I know, it's 'necessary'," Lapis sighed, "But I wish it wasn't. I wish I at least had a say in all of this."

"We're just trying to make sure that everything goes okay," Pearl told her.

"I know. I know that you're right to be cautious, and that this is for the best. It's just- That barn became my home, Pearl. After so long… I didn't want to leave."

Pearl pulled Lapis into her lap so she could kiss her forehead. When she pulled away, she saw tears falling from Lapis' eyes.

"Lapis… I'm sorry," Pearl murmured. "I really wish there was something we could do to make this easier, I do-"

"This isn't your fault," Lapis argued. "You're just doing your best, but it's a difficult situation."

"It feels so real now," Lapis mumbled, looking at her belly as she rested her head against Pearl's shoulder. "Now that it's not all talk, now that this is all happening…"

"You're scared," Pearl said.

"Yeah," Lapis agreed. "I guess… It didn't really hit me before now. I knew what was happening, but it didn't _feel_ like it was. Now that I can see that she's there, it's impossible to forget."

"I'm scared, too," Pearl admitted, gently resting her hand on her gemfriend's stomach. "Having a baby is scary, and I know that this is especially hard for you since you're the one having to deal with this. We're going to get through this, though, and we won't have to do this on our own."

Lapis smiled up at Pearl as she placed her hand on top of hers. The two sat like that for several minutes before Lapis finally spoke up.

"I wonder what she'll be like."

"Well," Pearl started, tracing circles on Lapis' belly, "she'll probably have blue eyes, since we both do. Maybe she'll have that smile of yours."

"I wonder if she'll be a halite," Lapis teased. Pearl smiled, even though she normally would not have been amused at the jab.

"Feeling better?" Pearl asked as she picked Lapis up.

"Yeah," Lapis said with a yawn as Pearl carried her back to the temple. "Tired, too."

"Let's get you to bed, then."


	4. Here Now

This one is about Pearl and Lapis meeting Turquoise. There will be cute Turquoise stories to follow. Enjoy!

* * *

Pearl was stunned as Lapis held their baby for the first time, smiling at their daughter despite being exhausted and disheveled from the long day. Pearl had been in a state of dread and panic since Lapis had told her the baby was about to come, certain that she would lose one of them by the time the day was over.

She had never been so happy to be wrong.

"Pearl? Is everything alright?"

Pearl nodded, snapping out of her thought. She hadn't realized that Lapis had been talking to her until she felt the nudge.

"Y-you're okay, both of you are okay," Pearl stammered, sitting down on the bed.

"That's right," Lapis murmured, kissing Pearl's gem. "I told you I'd be fine."

Pearl gazed down at the baby fussing in her gemfriend's arms. A smile grew on her face as she looked at the gem on her forehead.

"She's a Turquoise…" she sniffled.

"Yeah. Looks like we were both way off," Lapis murmured. "Here, you want to hold her?"

Pearl nodded, holding out her arms as Lapis handed their baby over. Turquoise had calmed down, and looked up at Pearl with sleepy teal eyes.

Lapis laid on her side, wrapping her arms around Pearl's waist and resting her head on her shoulder.

"Lapis, she's so small…" Pearl noted, her voice cracking as Turquoise drifted off to sleep in her arms.

"I know," Lapis yawned. "It's so weird, seeing a gem that small. She's perfect, though."

Pearl nodded in agreement.

"I was so scared," she admitted.

"I know," Lapis told her, leaning up to give her a kiss on the cheek. "You did a good job, though."

Pearl looked down at Lapis with a smile.

"So did you. You really should get some rest, though," Pearl said. "You must be tired from today."

"Can't argue that. Promise to wake me up whenever she does?"

"Of course," Pearl promised, drawing the blanket up over Lapis' shoulders. Before she was done, her gemfriend had already fallen asleep.

"Sweet dreams, Lapis."


	5. First Steps

Turquoise's first steps, followed by ice cream.

* * *

"Okay, Turquoise, I'm gonna let you go," Pearl cautioned as she stood the baby up on the floor. Turquoise took hold of the coffee table, inching along to get closer to Steven. She looked up at him expectantly when she got to the end of the table.

"Here, Turquoise, you can do this," he called, his arms outstretched for her. She began to take a cautious step away from the table, wobbling as she put one foot in front of the other. She fell on her bottom, blinking for a moment before Pearl picked her up so she could start again.

"Hey, you were able to get a little farther that time," Lapis said, ruffling her daughter's hair.

"Do you wanna try again?" Pearl asked. Turquoise nodded, and Pearl held her upright so she could get her footing.

The baby looked down at her feet, then back up to Steven. She hesitated before letting go, this time not looking away from her target until she was only a few steps from him. She began to wobble, but Steven grabbed her before she could fall.

"You did it!" Steven cheered, picking her up to carry her back to her mothers. Turquoise giggled happily as she clung to him.

"Good job, sweetie!" Pearl congratulated.

"You know what this means, right?" Lapis asked. Turquoise blinked at her, curious.

"It means we're gonna go take you to get ice cream!" Steven explained. Turquoise squealed happily, clapping as the three of them headed out the door.

"Okay, sweetie, what flavor do you want?" Lapis asked. "Vanilla?"

Turquoise shook her head.

"Chocolate?"

Turquoise nodded.

"One chocolate," Pearl told the girl behind the counter. "And one Cookie Cat," she added.

The girl handed them the ice cream, and Turquoise reached eagerly for hers.

"Hold on, sweetie, we gotta get you a spoon first," Lapis told her, sitting down at a table with Turquoise in her lap. Steven kept her occupied by making silly faces until Pearl came back with the spoon. Turquoise happily took the spoon from Pearl, and started attempting to eat the ice cream. Pearl wanted to intervene as she saw the mess Turquoise was making.

"She has to get practice. Besides, it her bath night anyways" Lapis pointed out. By the time Turquoise was done, she had ice cream all down her dress and on her face.

Nonetheless, she was happy.


	6. Taking Flight

A/N: They added onto the house around the time Turquoise was born, so now there's a new wing that consists of two bedrooms and a hallway that leads to them since Lapis doesn't have a room in the temple and neither does Turquoise. Anyways, enjoy!

* * *

"Mommy! Again, again!" Turquoise cheered.  
"Oh, alright, one more time," Lapis agreed, "but then you have to go to bed."

Turquoise nodded as Lapis hugged her tightly.

"Okay, hold on," Lapis told her as she summoned her wings. As soon as her feet left the ground, Turquoise started to giggle.

"Higher! Higher!" She squealed as Lapis obliged. They flew over the roof of the house, Turquoise's eye lighting up as she looked out over the ocean.

Soon, her laughter died down as they slowed to a landing on the porch.

"Thanks, Mommy," Turquoise yawned, hugging Lapis as she carried her inside. Lapis responded with a kiss to the top of her daughter's head as they headed down the hallway to her room.

"Now, let's go pick out your pajamas and get you into bed," she said, setting Turquoise down next to her bed. Turquoise ran over to the dresser and started pulling out various shirts and pants before settling for a colorful pastel outfit consisting of a long pair of pants, a shirt, and a nightgown. Lapis couldn't help but chuckle as she helped Turquoise get into her carefully-picked ensemble.

"Mommy, why are you laughing?" She asked as she pulled the pink nightgown on over the shirt.

"You're just so cute," Lapis told her. "Do you wanna go pick a book to read?" she asked. Turquoise shook her head before trying to climb up into her bed. Lapis pulled back the covers and helped her up, waiting until Turquoise was settled in to tuck her in.

"When will I learn to fly like you?" she asked.

"I don't know," she confessed.

"When did you learn?"

Lapis took a while to think about how to explain it to her daughter.

"I don't think that would matter much," she sighed. "I… I was made differently than you, so we're bound to be different."

"Made different?" Turquoise repeated.

"Your mom and I, we were grown-ups ever since we were made. You're only the second gem I've known who wasn't born as an adult."

"Really?" Turquoise asked.

"Really. You and Steven are the only gems I've met who even had a mommy."

"You never had a mommy?"

Lapis shook her head.

"We were made in the ground, kinda like plants," she explained.

"I'd be sad if I didn't have any mommies," Turquoise told her. "Doesn't that make you sad?"

"Not one bit," Lapis answered, gently kissing her daughter's forehead. "We have you, which is even better."


	7. Plans

YOOOOOOO I'M BACK IN BUSINESS!

The door creaked open as Pearl stuck her head inside to check on her sleeping daughter. As she began to close it, a familiar pair of arms wrapped around her waist from behind.

"Lapis, I thought you went to bed," Pearl whispered, shutting the door carefully.

"I wanted to talk to you about something first," Lapis replied, her voice muffled by Pearl's shoulder.

"Is something wrong?"

"N-no, but I think we should go to our room first," Lapis told her, taking her hand and leading her down the hall. She shut the door behind them before sitting down on the bed, Pearl joining her.

"What do you want to talk about?" Pearl asked.

"I was just thinking… Maybe we should think about having another baby."

"Lapis, are you sure you'd want to do that again? I know it was so hard on you the first time," Pearl pointed out, squeezing her hand.

"It'll be easier this time, Pearl. We know what we're doing now, and we know we can handle it. And you know Turquoise would be a great big sister."

"She would, and I've been wanting another, too. But… I think we need some time to really think about this. No need to rush into something like this."

"Of course," Lapis agreed, smiling up at Pearl. "I just wanted to bring it up so we could start talking."

Pearl pulled her into a hug. "I'm really glad you did. I've wanted to ask, but I didn't really didn't know how."

"You did?" Lapis asked.

Pearl nodded.

"I was worried that you'd feel pressured into it, and I didn't want that. Not after all that you went through with having Turquoise."

"Pearl, that's so sweet," Lapis told her, reaching up to kiss her on the cheek. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, Lapis."


	8. Leaves

Turquoise pulled a rake out of the closet, knocking several thing over in the process.

"Turquoise, what are you doing?" Pearl asked, picking up the mess.

"I'm gonna go rake the leaves!" Turquoise explained, walking towards the door.

"But there aren't any leaves outside. There's no trees on the beach," Pearl explained.

"There are too leaves!" Turquoise protested. Lapis guided her back to the living room.

"Okay, you can go rake the leaves, but first you have to help Mommy clean, okay?"

"Fine," Turquoise groaned, joining Pearl in cleaning the living room.

"Alright! Now can I go rake the leaves?" Turquoise asked.

"But there are no-" Pearl started before Lapis cut her off.

"Sure, sweetie."

Turquoise bounced out the door with the rake, dragging it against the floor as she left. Pearl stuck her head out of the door.

"Turquoise! Stay where we can see you!" She called.

"Okay, Mommy!" Turquoise answered.

Pearl let out a sigh as she shut the door.

"Children can be such a mystery," she said. Lapis started giggling as she watched their daughter through the window.

"Pearl, look!" she snorted. Pearl looked outside to see the young gem raking out at the water line.

"Is… is she raking the seashells?"

"Yes!" Lapis confirmed, wiping a tear away from her eye. The two watched as she gathered all the seashells, put them in a bucket and carried them back up to the house.

"Mommy! I got you some leaves!"

"Thank you, sweetie," Pearl said, taking one from the bucket. Lapis took one as well, smiling at her daughter.

"I think Steven might want one, too," Lapis told her. Turquoise's eye lit up, and within a second she was running up the stairs to Steven's room. Pearl and Lapis smiled at each other as they joined hands, their fingers intertwining.


	9. Second Run

A/N: Sorry for taking so long! I just got a second job, so time has been a bit tight, but there are more chapters in the pipeline!

The sound of the warp pad activating woke Lapis up. She hadn't realized she had fallen asleep, but it was bound to happen given the late hour. She felt a flutter in her chest when she saw her gemfriend materialize before her.

"You're finally back from your mission," Lapis sighed, a smile coming to her face. "Where are the others?"

"They'll be back any minute. Garnet told me I needed to get back here as quickly as possible, are you okay?" Pearl asked, her forehead creasing. "Where's Turquoise?"

"She's in bed, and everything's alright," Lapis assured her, trying not to look too giddy.

"You seem… excited," Pearl noted. "Did something happen?" Lapis glanced off to the side, blushing.

"Y-yeah," Lapis stammered, taking Pearl's hand "L-let's go outside, in case the others come back, okay?" Pearl followed her until they settled down on the bottom step.

"So, what's going on?" Pearl asked.

"A-alright. You remember how we… how we were trying for another baby?" Lapis asked, a bright smile on her face now.

"Oh my stars, did it happen?" Pearl gasped, realizing what Lapis was implying. Lapis only bit her lip and nodded, trying to keep herself somewhat composed.

"Wait, are you sure?" Pearl asked, looking Lapis up and down.

"Positive."

"Lapis! Oh my stars!" Pearl squealed, pulling her into a hug. "This is wonderful!"

"Shh… We don't want to wake up Turquoise," Lapis said, keeping her voice low as she glanced up at the temple.

"Sorry, it's just so exciting!" Pearl murmured, her arms still around Lapis. "I can't believe that you're really- that we're really-" she started to tear up as she spoke. Lapis rested her head against Pearl's shoulder, and the wetness on her shirt told her that she wasn't alone in this. The two stayed in their embrace for what felt like hours until Pearl pulled away.

"Come on," she said, scooping Lapis up. "You need rest, all things considered."

"Looks like you do, too," Lapis chuckled, wiping a stray tear from Pearl's cheek as the two disappeared back into the house.


	10. Sister

"Wake up," Pearl murmured, kissing her daughter on the cheek. Turquoise turned over, pulling the covers over her head as she groaned. Pearl softly poked her side, chuckling at how much she took after Lapis.

"Come on, sweetie. We made pancakes," Pearl added. Turquoise jolted up, alert.

"Pancakes?" she asked, jumping out of bed and running into the kitchen. Lapis was already sitting at the counter and Turquoise hopped up on the stool next to her, where a plate of pancakes was already set out for her.

Turquoise had managed to wolf down half of her stack by the time Pearl came back in. She smiled at Lapis while they both waited for Turquoise to finish eating. Turquoise hopped down from the stool and headed towards the door.

"Turquoise, wait a minute. Your mother and I have some news," Pearl said. Turquoise turned around to look at Pearl.

"News?"

Pearl and Lapis sat down with enough room for Turquoise between them. Turquoise climbed onto the couch and sat between them.

"What's news?" she asked, looking up at Pearl.

"Sweetie, you're gonna be a big sister," Pearl told her.

"Big… Wait, really?" Turquoise squealed. "I have a little sissy?"

"Well, not yet," Lapis said. "She'll be here in a few months."

"But that's forever from now…" Turquoise sighed.

"It goes by fast," Lapis assured her. "And it'll be worth the wait."

"You promise?"

"We promise."


End file.
